Now, before you side-eye this too much, it’s worth saying that Perry, who is perhaps best known in mainstream culture for bringing the character Madea to the big screen, is also an extremely compelling dramatic actor. Remember his turn as Ben Affleck’s slippery attorney Tanner Bolt in Gone Girl? He surprised everyone, first by showing up in the movie, and then by almost stealing the show.

Powell, as a refresher, is the four-star general who, as Bush’s Secretary of State, used intel that Saddam Hussein was manufacturing weapons of mass destruction to convince the president to invade Iraq in 2003. None of the weapons Powell cited were ever found. McKay, normally known for comedies in the vein of Anchorman and Step Brothers, moved into a new political arena with The Big Short, which was nominated for Best Picture in 2015. His Cheney movie will chronicle the former veep’s rise to power through his Vietnam War service, his stint at Halliburton, and finally his career as one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in history.

You can next see Tyler Perry in Boo 2: A Madea Halloween, which opens October 20. The more things change, the more they stay the same.